Worcester County Education: Which district had most students enrolled in schools in 2023-24 school year?

Patrick Tutwiler Massachusetts Secretary of Education | https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/bcnews/nation-world-society/education/lynch-school-graduate-named-mass-education-secretary.html

By Mid Massachusetts News

Dec 16, 2024

Worcester Public Schools had the largest enrollment among Worcester County districts, welcoming 24,350 students during the 2023-24 school year, according to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Of all the students welcomed in the 2023-24 school year, 51.4% of them were boys, and 48.6% were girls.

The most represented ethnicity among Worcester Public Schools students was Hispanic, accounting for 46% of the student population.

Among the 55 districts in Worcester County, Wachusett Regional School District ranked second in enrollment numbers with 6,676 students, while Leominster Public Schools welcomed 6,012 students and ranked third in the 2023-24 school year.

Worcester Public Schools roughly covers schools within Worcester County with its main office in Worcester.

In the previous school year, Worcester Public Schools also had the highest number of students among Worcester County districts.

Students in Massachusetts are predominantly white, according to state data from 2024. Hispanic and Latino students come in second, making up 25.1% of the state's student body.

Across the state, Hispanic and Latino students suffered the highest high school dropout rates (4.4%) in the 2022-23 school year, while also recording the lowest graduation rates (78.9%) in Massachusetts in 2023.

Underrepresentation is also found among educators in Massachusetts. The Rennie Center reported that only 9% of teachers are people of color.

Enrollment in Worcester Public Schools Over 5 Years

Enrollment in Worcester County Districts During 2023-24 School Year

District	City (main office)	Total Enrollment
Worcester Public Schools	Worcester	24,350
Wachusett Regional School District	Jefferson	6,676
Leominster Public Schools	Leominster	6,012
Shrewsbury Public Schools	Shrewsbury	5,921
Fitchburg Public Schools	Fitchburg	5,124
Milford Public Schools	Milford	4,413
Westborough Public Schools	Westborough	3,887
Dudley-Charlton Regional School District	Dudley	3,432
Grafton Public Schools	Grafton	3,050
Nashoba Regional School District	Bolton	3,031
Auburn Public Schools	Auburn	2,499
Gardner Public Schools	Gardner	2,472
Ashburnham Westminster Regional School DistrictAshburnham	Ashburnham	2,264
Quabbin Regional School District	Barre	2,168
Mendon-Upton Regional School District	Mendon	2,072
Clinton Public Schools	Clinton	1,989
Southbridge Public Schools	Southbridge	1,885
Northbridge Public Schools	Whitinsville	1,865
Tantasqua Regional School District	Fiskdale	1,759
Webster Public Schools	Webster	1,699
Millbury Public Schools	Millbury	1,650
Northborough Public Schools	Southborough	1,634
Uxbridge Public Schools	Uxbridge	1,632
Athol Royalston Regional School District	Athol	1,596
Lunenburg Public Schools	Lunenburg	1,580
Oxford Public Schools	Oxford	1,493
Narragansett Regional School District	Baldwinville	1,453
Blackstone-Millville Regional School District	Blackstone	1,450
Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School District	Fitchburg	1,428
Abby Kelley Foster Charter Public District	Worcester	1,421
Spencer-East Brookfield Regional School District	Spencer	1,418
Leicester Public Schools	Leicester	1,322
Sutton Public Schools	Sutton	1,310
Southborough Public Schools	Southborough	1,304
Blackstone Valley Vocational Regional School District	Upton	1,250
Winchendon Public Schools	Winchendon	1,219
Northborough-Southborough Regional School District	Southborough	1,194
Southern Worcester County Regional Vocational School District	Charlton	1,193
Douglas Public Schools	Douglas	1,160
Quaboag Regional School District	Warren	1,118
Berlin-Boylston Regional School District	Boylston	1,112
Hopedale Public Schools	Hopedale	1,101
Harvard Public Schools	Harvard	1,019
West Boylston Public Schools	West Boylston	903
Sturbridge Public Schools	Fiskdale	902
Learning First Charter Public School District	Worcester	667
North Brookfield Public Schools	North Brookfield	407
Old Sturbridge Academy Charter Public School District	Sturbridge	348
Brookfield School District	Fiskdale	302
Sizer School: A North Central Charter Essential District	Fitchburg	302
Brimfield School District	Fiskdale	284
Holland School District	Fiskdale	226
Petersham Public School District	Petersham	133
Massachusetts Academy For Math And Science School District	Worcester	97
Wales School District	Fiskdale	93